Thickening Rheological Organic Clay Conveying and Metering Device

Abstract

This utility model relates to the technical field of organic clay processing equipment, specifically a thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device, comprising an anti-agglomeration conveying unit and a rheological conveying unit connected in sequence. The anti-agglomeration unit employs a dual-opposite-meshing dispersing screw, which effectively breaks up agglomerates under the drive of a motor, preventing bridging and blockage. The rheological unit achieves stable conveying through a conveying propeller. The two units are connected by a guide pipe with a sealing flange to ensure a sealed system. Both the guide pipe and the conveying pipe are equipped with electromagnetic vibrators and rheological sensors, which can monitor the rheological state of the material in real time and assist in flow. The conveying pipe is equipped with a flow regulating valve and a flow sensor to achieve dynamic control; the end metering pipe integrates a metering sensor and a discharge valve to achieve high-precision quantitative output. The drive and conveying motors are driven by meshing reduction gears and transmission gears, resulting in high torque and stable operation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the technical field of organic clay processing equipment, specifically a thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device. Background Technology

[0002] In the production of polymer materials such as coatings, inks, and adhesives, thickening rheology modifiers (rheology modifiers) such as organoclay are widely used to adjust system viscosity, prevent pigment sedimentation, and improve workability. However, organoclay is prone to agglomeration and clumping during storage and transportation. Its high specific surface area and oleophilic properties result in poor flowability, easy adhesion to walls, and pipe blockage during transport, posing a serious challenge to continuous production. Traditional conveying devices often use single screw or gear pumps, lacking effective pre-dispersion functions. Material easily forms rat holes or bridging at the inlet, leading to uneven feeding. Simultaneously, existing equipment struggles to monitor and control the rheological state of materials in real time, failing to adapt to the complex flow characteristics of high-viscosity, non-Newtonian fluids, resulting in unstable conveying, low metering accuracy, and affecting the consistency of final product performance.

[0003] Furthermore, most systems lack integrated online metering capabilities, relying on external weighing or timed control for material output, resulting in delayed response and difficulty in achieving accurate dynamic proportioning. Piping connections are mostly simple flange connections, leading to poor sealing, easy leakage, and a lack of auxiliary flow measures, resulting in significant residue of highly viscous materials. Utility Model Content

[0004] (a) Technical problems to be solved To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this utility model provides a conveying and metering device for thickened rheological organic clay.

[0005] (II) Technical Solution To achieve the above objectives, this utility model provides the following technical solution: The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device of this utility model includes an anti-agglomeration conveying unit and a rheological conveying unit connected in sequence. The anti-agglomeration conveying unit includes a dispersing tank, a dispersing screw, and a drive motor. The drive motor is fixedly installed at the end of the dispersing tank, and its output end is drivenly connected to the dispersing screw. A feed hopper is provided at the top of the dispersing tank. The rheological conveying unit includes a conveying tank, a conveying propeller, a conveying motor, and a conveying pipe. The conveying motor is installed at the end of the conveying tank, and the conveying propeller is rotatably installed inside the conveying tank via bearings. The output end of the conveying motor is drivenly connected to the conveying propeller. The dispersing tank and the conveying tank are connected through a guide pipe, and a flow regulating valve and a flow sensor are provided on the conveying pipe.

[0006] Preferably, both the guide pipe and the delivery pipe are equipped with electromagnetic vibrators and rheological sensors.

[0007] More preferably, at least two drive motors and dispersing screws are provided on the dispersing barrel, and the two dispersing screws adopt an anti-rotating twin-screw structure.

[0008] Preferably, the end of the conveying pipe is provided with a metering tube, the top of the metering tube is provided with a liquid level sensor, and the bottom of the metering tube is provided with a discharge valve.

[0009] Preferably, the two ends of the guide pipe are connected to the dispersion tank and the conveying tank respectively through sealing flanges, and the end of the conveying pipe is connected to the output end of the conveying tank through a sealing flange.

[0010] More preferably, the output ends of the drive motor and the conveying motor are provided with reduction gears, the transmission ends of the dispersing screw and the conveying propeller respectively pass through the dispersing barrel and the conveying barrel, the transmission sleeve of the dispersing screw and the conveying propeller is equipped with a transmission gear, and the transmission gear is meshed with the reduction gear.

[0011] (III) Beneficial Effects Compared with the prior art, this utility model provides a conveying and metering device for thickened rheological organic clay, which has the following beneficial effects: This technical solution employs a series structure of an anti-agglomeration conveying unit and a rheological conveying unit to achieve fully automated control of the entire process from dispersion to precise metering. The anti-agglomeration conveying unit is equipped with at least two sets of drive motors and an opposing meshing twin-screw structure. Through shearing, extrusion, and self-cleaning actions, it effectively breaks up organic clay agglomerates, preventing bridging and blockage during the feeding process and ensuring uniform and stable material conveying.

[0012] The dispersion tank is equipped with a feed hopper at the top for continuous feeding. The two units are connected by a guide pipe with a sealed flange, ensuring system tightness and reducing leakage and contamination. In the rheological conveying unit, the conveying motor drives the conveying propeller via a reduction gear and a transmission gear, resulting in smooth operation and high torque, suitable for conveying high-viscosity materials.

[0013] Both the guide pipe and the conveying pipe integrate electromagnetic vibrators and rheological sensors, which can monitor rheological parameters such as material viscosity and flowability in real time, and eliminate material buildup on the pipe walls through vibration assistance, thereby improving conveying efficiency. The conveying pipe is equipped with a flow regulating valve and a flow sensor to achieve dynamic flow regulation; a metering pipe is installed at the end, which, together with the metering sensor at the top and the discharge valve at the bottom, completes high-precision quantitative output.

[0014] The entire device is compact, well-sealed, and responds quickly, solving the technical problems of high-viscosity organic clay being prone to agglomeration, difficult to transport, and inaccurate in measurement, and significantly improving the stability and automation level of production processes in industries such as coatings and inks. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1This is a top view of the dispersion tank end of the overall equipment of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a top view of the conveying pipe end of the overall equipment of this utility model; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the opposite meshing structure of the dual-dispersion screw of this utility model; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-sectional structure of the conveying barrel of this utility model; In the diagram: 1. Dispersion tank; 2. Conveying tank; 3. Feed hopper; 4. Guide pipe; 5. Conveying pipe; 6. Metering pipe; 7. Drive motor; 8. Conveying motor; 9. Dispersion screw; 10. Conveying propeller; 11. Transmission gear; 12. Reduction gear; 13. Electromagnetic vibrator; 14. Rheological sensor; 15. Flow control valve; 16. Flow sensor; 17. Liquid level sensor; 18. Discharge valve. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the present utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present utility model, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the protection scope of the present utility model.

[0017] Please see Figure 1-4 The present invention relates to a thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device, comprising an anti-agglomeration conveying unit and a rheological conveying unit connected in sequence. The anti-agglomeration conveying unit includes a dispersing tank 1, a dispersing screw 9, and a drive motor 7. The drive motor 7 is fixedly installed at the end of the dispersing tank 1, and the output end of the drive motor 7 is drivenly connected to the dispersing screw 9. The top of the dispersing tank 1 is provided with a feed hopper 3. The rheological conveying unit includes a conveying tank 2, a conveying propeller 10, a conveying motor 8, and a conveying pipe 5. The conveying motor 8 is installed at the end of the conveying tank 2, and the conveying propeller 10 is rotatably installed inside the conveying tank 2 through bearings. The output end of the conveying motor 8 is drivenly connected to the conveying propeller 10. The dispersing tank 1 and the conveying tank 2 are connected through a guide pipe 4. The conveying pipe 5 is provided with a flow regulating valve and a flow sensor 16.

[0018] This technical solution addresses the pain points of thickened rheological organic clay, such as easy agglomeration, conveying blockage, and low metering accuracy, through the synergistic effect of the anti-agglomeration conveying unit and the rheological conveying unit. The overall principle is as follows: Organic clay enters the dispersion tank 1 from the feed hopper 3. Driven by the drive motor 7, the counter-meshing dual dispersion screws 9 break up 5-10mm agglomerates through shearing and extrusion. At the same time, the electromagnetic vibrator 13 and the rheological sensor 14 on the guide pipe 4 work together to prevent material from sticking to the wall and monitor the rheological state. The pre-treated material enters the conveying tank 2 through the guide pipe 4. Driven by the conveying motor 8, the conveying propeller 10 pushes the material towards the conveying pipe 5. The flow regulating valve and the flow sensor 16 adjust the conveying rate in real time to adapt to the rheological characteristics of the material. Finally, the material enters the metering pipe 6. The liquid level sensor 17 accurately detects the material quantity. After reaching the set value, the discharge valve 18 is opened, realizing the integrated operation of crushing and dispersing, stable conveying, and accurate metering. This ensures a conveying efficiency of ≥300kg / h and a metering error of ≤±2%, meeting the high-precision batching requirements of coatings, drilling fluids, and other scenarios.

[0019] The anti-agglomeration conveying unit is the core component for solving the agglomeration and blockage of organic clay. It includes an opposing meshing dual dispersion screw 9, a drive motor 7 transmission structure, and a guide pipe 4 auxiliary component. Its working principle is as follows: The dispersion tank 1 is equipped with two opposing dispersing screws 9, which are driven by a drive motor 7 through gear transmission. Shear crushing: The twin screws rotate in opposite directions, generating strong shear force at the meshing point, which can crush 5-10mm organic clay agglomerates into ≤2mm small particles, with a crushing rate of ≥98%; The dispersing screw has a staggered design with 9 screw ribs. The screw channel volume gradually decreases from the feed end to the discharge end, generating a pre-compression force of 0.1-0.2MPa to prevent material from accumulating in the screw channel. The shearing force can be adjusted by changing the motor speed. For high-viscosity materials, the speed can be increased to 180-200 r / min to enhance the shearing force and reduce the viscosity. For low-viscosity materials, the speed can be reduced to 50-80 r / min to avoid excessive shearing that would reduce the activity.

[0020] The output end of the drive motor 7 is equipped with a reduction gear 12, and the transmission end of the dispersing screw 9 is fitted with a transmission gear 11 that meshes with the reduction gear 12. The reduction gear 12 reduces the high speed of the drive motor 7 to the speed of the dispersing screw 9, while increasing the torque to ensure that the screw does not jam when crushing high-viscosity agglomerates; The transmission gears 11 of the two sets of dispersing screws 9 mesh with each other to ensure that the twin screws rotate synchronously in opposite directions, thus avoiding uneven material conveying caused by inconsistent speeds. The guide pipe 4 is connected to the dispersion tank 1 and the conveying tank 2 through sealing flanges at both ends, and is equipped with an electromagnetic vibrator 13 and a rheology sensor 14. The electromagnetic vibrator uses high-frequency micro-vibration to break the adhesion between the material and the pipe wall, thus preventing organic clay from sticking to the wall and causing blockage due to its high viscosity. The rheology sensor 14 is embedded in the pipe wall to collect material viscosity and shear rate data in real time and feed them back to the control system, such as a PLC programmable controller. When the viscosity exceeds the set value, such as 30,000 mPa·s, the speed of the dispersing screw 9 is automatically increased to increase the shear force, so that the viscosity is reduced to the suitable range of 18,000-22,000 mPa·s. The sealing flange uses a nitrile rubber sealing ring and bolt fastening structure to prevent leakage of high-viscosity materials.

[0021] The rheological transport unit is the core component for achieving rheological adaptation and accurate metering. It includes a transport propeller 10, a transport pipe assembly 5, and a metering pipe 6. Its working principle is as follows: The conveying propeller 10 is rotatably mounted on the conveying drum 2 via bearings and is driven by the conveying motor 8 through gear transmission. The conveying propeller 10 rotates at a speed of 80-150 r / min, driving the material to flow along the axial direction of the conveying barrel 2. The gap between the screw edge and the barrel wall is ≤3mm to avoid material residue. The speed of the conveyor motor 8 is linked to the rheology sensor 14. When the viscosity of the material is detected to increase, the speed is automatically increased to increase the conveying thrust and ensure a stable conveying rate. The output end of the conveyor motor 8 is also equipped with a reduction gear 12, which works with the transmission gear 11 to achieve precise speed control and adapt to different flow requirements.

[0022] Delivery pipe 5 is equipped with a flow regulating valve and flow sensor 16. Flow sensor 16, preferably electromagnetic, detects the instantaneous flow rate of the material and transmits the data to the flow regulating valve; The flow regulating valve automatically adjusts the speed of the conveying propeller 10 according to the set flow rate, such as 300L / h. When the flow rate is too high, the speed is reduced, and when it is too low, the speed is increased to ensure a stable flow rate. The conveying pipe 5 is also equipped with an electromagnetic vibrator 13 (which works synchronously with the guide pipe 4) to prevent material from accumulating inside the pipe and ensure smooth conveying.

[0023] Metering tube 6, preferably with a volume of 50L, is equipped with a liquid level sensor 17 at the top and a discharge valve 18 at the bottom, preferably an electric ball valve. Weight measurement: After the material enters the metering tube 6, the liquid level sensor 17 detects the material position in real time. When the set capacity is reached, a feedback signal is sent to the control system. The control system, such as a PLC programmable controller, controls the opening of the discharge valve 18 and simultaneously pauses the conveying propeller 10 to prevent excessive material flow. After the valve closes, the conveying is restarted to begin the next round of metering.

[0024] A detailed workflow, taking the processing of organic clay for coatings with a viscosity of 20000 mPa·s as an example. Pretreatment stage for preventing agglomeration Feeding and crushing: Organic clay with a viscosity of 20000 mPa·s is added to the dispersion tank 1 through the feed hopper 3 with an initial addition of 200 kg. The drive motor 7 is started and the dual dispersion screws 9 rotate in opposite directions at 120 r / min to shear and crush 5-10 mm agglomerates. Rheological monitoring and adjustment: The rheological sensor 14 on the guide pipe 4 detects the viscosity of the material in real time. The initial detection value of 21000 mPa·s is within the target range and there is no need to adjust the speed. If the detection value rises to 23000 mPa·s, the control system automatically increases the screw speed to 130 r / min. After 30 seconds, the viscosity drops to 21500 mPa·s. Anti-sticking conveying: Start the electromagnetic vibrator 13 in the guide pipe 4, and the material will flow smoothly into the conveying bucket 2 along the guide pipe 4 under the action of vibration.

[0025] Rheological transport and metering stage Stable conveying: Start the conveyor motor 8, and the conveyor propeller 10 rotates at a speed of 100 r / min to push the material towards the conveyor pipe 5; the flow sensor 16 detects the instantaneous flow rate, with an initial value of 295 kg / h. The flow regulating valve fine-tunes the speed of the conveyor motor 8 to 102 r / min, and the flow rate stabilizes at 300 kg / h. During the dynamic adaptation process, the rheology sensor 14 detected that the material viscosity rose to 22500 mPa·s due to temperature fluctuations. The control system synchronously increased the speed of the conveying propeller 10 to 105 r / min to maintain a stable flow rate. Precise metering: Material enters metering tube 6, and level sensor 17 weighs it in real time. When the material reaches 50L, the control system sends a signal: shuts off conveyor propeller 10 and flow regulating valve; opens discharge valve 18, and material is discharged; after the valve closes, the conveying is restarted, and the next round of metering begins. Cyclic operation: 50L metering is completed every 10 seconds, and 300 meters are accumulated in 5 hours, with a total conveying capacity of 1500kg, which is completely consistent with the theoretical value of 300kg / h×5h=1500kg, and the metering error is 0%.

[0026] Shutdown and maintenance phase Residual cleaning: Continue running the equipment for 10 minutes to transfer the residual material in the dispersion tank 1 and conveying tank 2 to the metering tube 6 and discharge it; Equipment cleaning: Add 50L of clean water to the dispersion tank 1, start the twin screw and conveyor propeller 10 to rinse the inside of the equipment and prevent residual materials from drying and clumping.

[0027] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for conveying and metering thickened rheological organic clay, characterized in that, The system includes an anti-agglomeration conveying unit and a rheological conveying unit connected in sequence. The anti-agglomeration conveying unit includes a dispersing barrel (1), a dispersing screw (9), and a drive motor (7). The drive motor (7) is fixedly installed at the end of the dispersing barrel (1). The output end of the drive motor (7) is connected to the dispersing screw (9) in a transmission connection. The top of the dispersing barrel (1) is provided with a feed hopper (3). The rheological conveying unit includes a conveying barrel (2), a conveying propeller (10), a conveying motor (8), and a conveying pipe (5). The conveying motor (8) is installed at the end of the conveying barrel (2). The conveying propeller (10) is rotatably installed inside the conveying barrel (2) through a bearing. The output end of the conveying motor (8) is connected to the conveying propeller (10) in a transmission connection. The dispersing barrel (1) and the conveying barrel (2) are connected through a guide pipe (4). The conveying pipe (5) is provided with a flow regulating valve and a flow sensor (16).

2. The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Electromagnetic vibrators (13) and rheological sensors (14) are installed on both the guide pipe (4) and the delivery pipe (5).

3. The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least two drive motors (7) and dispersing screws (9) are provided on the dispersing barrel (1), and the two dispersing screws (9) adopt an opposite meshing twin screw structure.

4. The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The end of the conveying pipe (5) is provided with a metering pipe (6), the top of the metering pipe (6) is provided with a liquid level sensor (17), and the bottom of the metering pipe (6) is provided with a discharge valve (18).

5. The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The two ends of the guide pipe (4) are connected to the dispersion tank (1) and the conveying tank (2) respectively through sealing flanges, and the end of the conveying pipe (5) is connected to the output end of the conveying tank (2) through a sealing flange.

6. The thickening rheological organic clay conveying and metering device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The output ends of the drive motor (7) and the conveying motor (8) are provided with reduction gears (12). The transmission ends of the dispersing screw (9) and the conveying propeller (10) pass through the dispersing barrel (1) and the conveying barrel (2) respectively. The transmission sets of the dispersing screw (9) and the conveying propeller (10) are equipped with transmission gears (11), and the transmission gears (11) are meshed with the reduction gears (12).

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